Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday, with the goal of uniting the entire Opposition to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
After the meeting, the three leaders held a joint press conference. Nitish Kumar said, “We have held talks, especially about the coming together of all parties and making all preparations ahead of the upcoming Parliament elections. Whatever will be done next, will be done in the nation’s interest. Those who are ruling now, have nothing to do. They are just doing their own publicity. Nothing is being done for the nation’s development.”
Mamata Banerjee, the leader of the Trinamool Congress, also called for opposition unity while calling for an opposition meeting in Bihar, the home of the JP movement.
“We will go ahead together. We have no personal ego, we want to work together collectively. I have made just one request to Nitish Kumar. Jayaprakash (Narayan ) ji’s movement started from Bihar,” Mamata said.
“If we have an all-party meeting in Bihar, we can decide where to go next. But first of all, we must convey that we are united. I have said earlier too that I have no objections. I want BJP to become zero. They have become a big hero with the media’s support and lies,” Mamata added.
On Monday evening, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will meet with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who has taken on the task of uniting opposition forces against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.
Nitish Kumar had earlier met with Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and former MP Rahul Gandhi in the national capital on April 12. Rahul Gandhi told reporters after the meeting that it was a “historic step” towards Opposition unity and an “ideological fight.”
Rahul Gandhi, who posted a photo of himself with Kharge and leaders of the JDU and RJD, stated that they are “standing together, will fight together for India.”
“In this battle of ideology, a historic step has been taken today towards Opposition unity. (We are) standing together will fight together – for India!” Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet after the meeting with the Bihar chief minister.
CM Mamata Banerjee is also making no effort to close ranks with other parties ahead of the 2024 elections, having met with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav at her residence in Kolkata last month.
